A sound suppressor is intended to conceal the location of a gun when fired. When undergoing sustained fire, however, a gun, such as a machine gun, and its suppressor become hot, hot enough to glow a dull red, and therefore visible on a dark night. In addition, suppressors are subject to internal damage when a fired bullet does not pass cleanly through it. Slight impacts of the bullet damage the suppressor and firing residue deposits bits of metal inside it. In time, incremental build-up of these deposits, damage from bullet impacts, and heat deformation make frequent repair or replacement of suppressors inevitable. Perhaps more importantly, the ability of the suppressor to shed heat during sustained fire degrades its ability to conceal the location of a machine gun.